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Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 21:35

New breakwater bridge inaugurated in blaze of lights

The new breakwater bridge in Valletta was inaugurated in a colourful display of lights this evening, 71 years almost to the day since the original structure was demolished in an Italian torpedo boat attack during the second world war.

The new structure, similar to the old one but formed of a single span instead of two, was inaugurated by Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt, who said it symbolised the rejuvenation of Valletta and Grand Harbour, which are going through the most extensive rehabilitation process in their history.

One of the spans of the old bridge was brought down in the brave attack by the Italian Tenth Assault Flotilla on July 26, 1941 as its boats tried to enter Grand Harbour to attack newly-arrived cargo ships. The attack was a total failure and all the attacking boats were picked out by the coastal floodlights and  destroyed.

The breakwater bridge - linking Fort St Elmo to the North breakwater arm, was removed after the war and only the central pillars remained - and they have been retained to this day.

The new 190-ton structure was built in Spain and placed across the 70-metre gap in October. The project cost some €2.8m.

Dr Gatt said the government was giving new dignity to Valletta thanks to the City Gate project, the restoration of the bastions and of the Palace and the Auberge de Castille, the rehabilitation of Palace square, as well as the paving and pedestrianisation of the capital's main streets and the rebuilding of the Barrakka lift.

These were works which were also creating jobs and making Valletta a more attractive tourist destination.

Some 76,000 tourists had entered Grand Harbour on cruise ships in the first five months of this year, Dr Gatt observed, and the rebuilding of this bridge continued to confirm Valletta's Grand Harbour as one of the finest harbours in the Mediterranean. 

Dr Gatt's address was followed by a colourful lights-to-music display, with a ministry official saying there are plans for something similar to be presented as a regular attraction.

The old bridge, demolished almost exactly 71 yars ago.The old bridge, demolished almost exactly 71 yars ago.

 

 

 

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Francis Saliba M.D.

Jul 25th 2012, 16:03

"In London, you can see the foundations and columns of several historic bridges jutting out of the Thames and they are treasured as they are. No need for urgent action there" (Sarah Camilleri, today at 13:44))

The Thames is famous for its history much more than its rare beautiful spots. A few "foundations and columns" of old bridges do not obtrude. The derelict remains of a destroyed bridge at the entrance of the Grand Harbour, one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, were an eyesore - just as much as the ruins of the Royal Opera House. Tackling those eyesores seven decades later is no indication of "urgent action" and undue haste - quite the opposite.

Joe Grech

Jul 28th 2012, 10:24

Dr. Saliba, if you think that the way the 'eyesore' of the remains of the Royal Opera house has been tackled is an improvement, I think that very many would disagree.

Sarah Camilleri

Jul 25th 2012, 13:50

@ T. Mifsud - exactly how many tourists will be attracted to Malta because of this bridge? Please quantify your statements.

We have spent our own money on this bridge, but will be getting nothing back.

And to be honest, if you are comparing this bridge to "sufanijiet bil-plastik, to fajjenza u statwi and kmamar tal-pranzu li qatt ma jintuzaw", then you are absolutely right. It is as useless as an unused kamra tal-pranzu.

This money could have been spent on residential homes for people with a disability, for instance, seeing that there are over 50 people on waiting lists at present.

T Mifsud

Jul 25th 2012, 14:58

While I understand your concern about the people with disability, embellishment projects attract tourism. To ask me to quantify future tourism is not a solid counter argument because you neither know how many tourists are lost due to dirt, rubbish, unfinished buildings and general lack of upkeep. There is a difference between entering a worn torn harbour entrance versus a restored entrance.

Alex Buds

Jul 26th 2012, 19:32

@S Camilleri. Come on. That broken bridge was the first thing all cruise liner passengers see on entering our country. Not to mention all visitors to the Lower Barakka, bastions, Fort St Elmo, etc. After 70 years don't you think fixing it is a good thing? Maybe we should have waited for a century?

D Vella

Jul 25th 2012, 13:26

Mister Tyrell, for your information there is NO maltese firm with the engineering capacity to construct such a structure and even were this not the case, having it made locally would, in all probability, have cost three times as much!!

James Tyrrell

Jul 25th 2012, 17:20

@D Vella. Fair enough point if that is indeed the case but why did they think it was a good idea to spend almost €3m on a bridge that doesn't go anywhere???

M Calleja

Jul 25th 2012, 11:43

Issaporti l-ahhar ftit xhur...kif jitla' JosephPL ma jughakx iktar il-but!

D Vella

Jul 25th 2012, 13:32

Pippo, by 'restoring it to it's former glory' I am sure you refer also to the re-construction of the ghastly 'kerrejja' building that occupied the space which, after its demolition, became (somewhat pretentiously) known as 'freedom square . . . (!)

Victor Pulis

Jul 25th 2012, 12:10

Jekk qed tahseb li kull min ikkritika l-pont hu labour mela ghadek tghix fi zmien meta xi hadd qal min mhux maghna kontra taghna. Il hazin hazin jaghmlu min jaghmlu u l-pont hu hazin ghax sar fi zmien hazin. Hemm hafna izjed prijoritajiet izjed urgenti. €2.8 miljuni setghu intuzaw ahjar. Imbaghad il pont kien isir wara.U nistaqsi kemm il turist uza l-pont síssa?

Joe Grech

Jul 25th 2012, 09:47


William it is obviously you who doesn't understand that EU funds are actually coming out of our pockets and are not there to be wasted on frivolous projects but projects that generate jobs or improve social conditions in this time of austerity.

Chris Mifsud

Jul 25th 2012, 09:49

Exactly my thoughts... You are 100% Correct.

I got sick of reading stuff like "the national debt", "recession", "we can't afford it", "...and the tax payer pays" etc.. etc....

All this negativity comes from the rubbish the MLP tries to make people believe. Malta is doing well giving the international circumstances and it's not true that people are suffering to make ends meet. The Maltese have had it too good these last 20 years.

People complain about the state of the economy and how they are suffering yet they refuse to give up using their deep/chest freezers, airconditioners, cable/satellite tv, internet etc.. They refuse to stop stuffing their faces with food to the point that they are obese.

W Cassar

Jul 25th 2012, 10:15

"If it were for all the moaners and groaners below, we'd still be cooking on the fuklar, watching black & white TV, or living in caves! What a bunch of moaners!"


Or maybe William we would be like Singapore, who were worlds behind us at one point!

Paul Kew

Jul 25th 2012, 12:14

And our pockets in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and the rest of the EU not just Malta.

William Attard McCarthy

Jul 25th 2012, 09:34

Mhux xi daqs kemm kienu "jahdmu" fl-Izra u Rabbi jew il fabbriki tal-kappar, Sur Camilleri!

Peter Agius

Jul 25th 2012, 10:40

In fact I know quite a substantial number of them, Marija. And they are not even on the minimum wage.....they're unemployed. And they still afford to buy medicine for their children, and have a mistress by the side. Recession. What recession??

joe farrugia

Jul 25th 2012, 09:22

Mhux ahjar intefqu zewg miljuni biex issir dan bridge milli intefqu izjed biex iggib l-armi u thallas lil instructers Korejani biex isawtu lil u jisparaw fuq il maltin bi trattat sigriet..

Colin Camilleri

Jul 25th 2012, 09:17

George, they had 25 years time to rebuild the bridge! Yet when Malta was prospering the PN did not see it fit to rebuild it! The Malta Dockyard/Drydocks were excellent candidates who could have done it, with the maltese government investing in its own industry and people.

Yet, it shut Malta Dockyard down and the contract ended up in Spain.

And we should be happy about that? Maltese companies closing down or forced to close down, when the government could have used their services?

What is most painful is that these 2.8 million euros, left our shores for Spain... when they could have been invested in maltese people and found itself again in our economy...

Francis Saliba M.D.

Jul 25th 2012, 10:11

@ Colin Camilleri, today at 09:17

The post-war Malta Dockyard could be relied on to block the harbour entrance with ships and tugboats, under the direction of an MLP former minister Lorry Sant, but not to improve the appearance of the Grand Harbour.

Victor Pulis

Jul 25th 2012, 12:15

So in your opinion the bridge is a capital project! As is the new parliament building. No wonder we have our priorities in a twist!

A Trapani

Jul 25th 2012, 09:49

Victor, with your reasoning, what is the use of restoring our heritage and historical buildings and fortresses? They call all fall down and rot ?? Besides, for everyones information, most of the money spent on this bridge were allocated to malta by the EU specifically to restore THIS bridge, hence, all the talk on what Gonzi could have done with the money is futile !!

T Mifsud

Jul 25th 2012, 09:11

Its probably EU funds that HAD to be spent otherwise we wont make budget next year

T Mifsud

Jul 25th 2012, 09:14

Moaner! What extravagance? Shall we remove all the festas and let doom and gloon set in? This is standard socialist mentality. We need to invest in the country's image. Yes roads, power, cleanliness are being done as well. But something like this is welcome!

Victor Pulis

Jul 25th 2012, 08:37

it would have been a fantastic project had it been done at the proper time. There is such a thing as priorites.€2.8 million could have been utilized on more important and urgent albeit less conspicuous (and therefore less PR) projects. I would also like to know how many tourists and locals have made use of the bridge since its construction.But some people just have to lick their favourite party.

Lawrence Fenech

Jul 25th 2012, 09:13

@Cassar.


Lákbar zball kardinali ta" GonziPN hu il-fregu u hela ta'flus il-poplu bit-tetru nofs lehja u bini ghal-55 ruh.

A. Schembri

Jul 25th 2012, 08:34

maybe if we do not dirty our own country then they could have been spent on other things?

Jekk noqodu sejrin b'din il mentalita ma jsir xejn. There is something called budgeting.

Well done for the good project. With over 78000 touristys visitng via grand harbour first impressions count as well

Victor Pulis

Jul 25th 2012, 08:58

A Schembri there SHOULD be something called budgeting as you say but in this case there was not. The 78,000 tourists would still visit Malta even without the bridge and i never heard any tourist complain because his view of our splendid harbour was spoiled without the bridge.The tourists are put off by our roads, our dirty environment, our permanent construction sites in tourist areas, our disregard to animal safety and care (karozzini horses for example)right next to the cruise liners.The bridge could have waited until we tackled at least some of our more urgent needs.

T Mifsud

Jul 25th 2012, 09:15

Socialist mentality! Yes true but these projects assist in tourism!

Michael Seychell

Jul 25th 2012, 11:08

Mr. John Zarb the government spend one million a day on Health and about the same amount on Education, so 2.5 million mostly coming from the E.U which we have to use in any way - or else those not spent will go to other countries, would not make a ny difference .

Regarding roads we grumble when projects are in hand and yet we soon forget each new road including tunnels we use so often and we tend to think that these projects have been made ages ago.

On your final point - cleanliness - the government spent many other millions to rehabilitate Maghtab, introduced Bring In Sites in all the villages and also built five other sites where each of us can take heavy objects to throw away in specialised areas according to the material we are throwing away.

Apart from this we have a daily door to door collection of our garbage bags - something which you find in very few countries, and we have also various garbage bins including special dog pooh bins in most of the main areas which are frequented by many pedestrians.

Despite all the millions spent to keep our country clean, ain many areas it looks like a third word country full of dirt where no services are provided.

My conclusion is that it is not the country or the government who ever thar might be, but we the people who prefer to walk on dirty streets/roads.

Michael Seychell Tal-Pieta.
Mr. John Zarb the government spend one million a day on Health and about the same amount on Education. Regarding roads we grumble when projects are in hand and yet we soon forget each new road including tunnels we use so often and we tend to think that these projects have been made ages ago.

On your final point - cleanliness - the government spent many other millions to rehabilitate Maghtab, introduced Bring In Sites in all the villages and also built five other sites where each of us can take heavy objects to throw away in soecialised arias according to the material we are throwing away.

Apart from this we have a daily door to door collection of our garbage bags - something which you find in very few countries, and we have also various garbage bins including special dog pooh bins in most of the main areas which are frequented by many pedestrians.

Despite all the millions spent to keep our country clean, ain many areas it looks like a third word country full of dirt where no services are provided.

My conclusion is that it is not the c ountry or the government who ever thar might be, but we the people who prefer to walk on dirty streets/roads.

Michael Seychell Tal-Pieta.

Victor Pulis

Jul 25th 2012, 12:19

T Mifsud the bridge will do absolutely nothing to increase tourism to Malta and you know it. If you think that everyone who is criticising the lack of priorities is a labour supporter than you are living on another planet.
Wrong is wrong wherever it comes from. But there are some who cannot bring themselves to criticise their own party and this goes for both sides.

T Mifsud

Jul 25th 2012, 09:16

It is iconic and part of history

W Cassar

Jul 25th 2012, 10:12

Yes if it was a replica but its not.

Ben Agius

Jul 25th 2012, 10:52

there is nothing to get! It's just a clothes hanger - it's not really a bridge! for it to connect both sides of the harbour - now that's an idea - as part of a road to reduce traffic congestion etc etc- it'll have to be a major major project that Malta can't afford.

Victor Pulis

Jul 25th 2012, 08:39

Are you sure it was financed by the EU? I really would like to know.

C Cassar

Jul 25th 2012, 08:26

Fishermen? All they would do is leave rubbish lying around and make their usual mess. If there was a charge, of say €5 per day (8hrs) then ok becuase the funds could be used to clean the area each day after they leave.

T Mifsud

Jul 25th 2012, 09:16

Needed for tourism. Tourists do like to be surprised as well!

Giovanni Rizzo

Jul 25th 2012, 08:29

Thanks Major Abela for such information.If memory serves me right,the Italian Captain was Teseo Tesei.

Gorg Sciberras

Jul 25th 2012, 07:51

Qishom diska mwahhla. Jien nghix barra minn Malta - wahda mill-ewwel affarijiet li rrid nghamel kif nigi lura das-sajf hija li nimxi mixja sat-tarf tal-breakwater biex ingawdi l-veduta u niehu ftit ritratti. It-tfal kif raw il-video hawn fuq ma waqfux jghiduli biex immorru fuq il-pont.

Eddy Privitera

Jul 25th 2012, 08:29

Giovann DeMartino:. Ghax bilhaqq int tghid li tant ghandna flus li ma nafux x'naqbdu naghmlu bihom ! Forsi ghalhekk Austin Gatt gietu din l-ideja - li litteralment jarmi l-flus il-bahar !!!!

Marija Helen Attard Raute

Jul 25th 2012, 09:10

@ Gorg Sciberras
I am sorry but as much as you would love to go and take your children ON the bridge you won't be able to. WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO ON THE BRIDGE....
so is it really worth a cent????

Joe Busuttil

Jul 25th 2012, 21:02

@G. Sciberras.----where do you live abroad? The children may be impressed at seeing the fireworks,but you,a grown up? Just imagine AG inaugurating The Shard in London. Not even Hell could provide a fireworks display spectacular enough to satisfy his ego.

Mr Michael Debono

Jul 25th 2012, 09:35

Le mhu xejn sabih pont wiehed dak it-tul kollu. Ara ssibx wiehed bhalu fid-dinja. Min ghamel dik il-kondizzjoni li jkun hemm "span wiehed" zgarra bil-kbir ghax ikrah.

Giov DeMartino

Jul 25th 2012, 08:20

Are you sure? I can assure you that if the Govt builds a bridge to HEAVEN......there shall be many persons to complain. Take my word!

ANTHONY PAVIA

Jul 25th 2012, 15:44

Would you say that the money would have been far better spent on reducing the longest hospital waiting lists ever?

Giov DeMartino

Jul 25th 2012, 16:14

@ Anthony Pavia: HOW?

ANTHONY PAVIA

Jul 26th 2012, 08:42

Mr DeMartino, your valid question should be put to the politicians in charge of the subject. I am sure they employ a multitude of "consultants" to show them the way.

Giov DeMartino

Jul 26th 2012, 15:06

If YOU don't know the answer, Mr Pavia, SHUT UP.

Mr Joe Micallef

Jul 25th 2012, 07:44

Nay, I am not fond of rebuilding the Victorian imperialistic monument in a post baroque city. I want my capital city to creatively and innovatively and with respect look forward, not backwards!

Micallef (no post nominals - I love travelling light)
Valletta MALTA

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